Sheryl Garrett, CFP®, is founding principal of Financial Planning, LLC, a Fee-Only financial planning and Registered Investment Advisory firm headquartered in Kansas City. The firm specializes in providing hourly, as-needed financial planning and advice to people from all walks of life.
Because no third-party compensation is received, all potential conflicts of interest regarding compensation are removed. "It's exciting to see more astute Americans turning to fee-only financial planners for professional advice and asset management services," says Sheryl.
"Because we work solely for our clients, there are no third-party agendas to cloud our thinking. My staff and I maintain one focus, one mission: Empowering our clients with the information and advice they need to make sound financial decisions," she concludes.
Flexible, needs-based services allow clients to select the program that makes sense to them. Ongoing asset management and comprehensive services (typically the program selected by clients with a sizeable asset base) are offered on a retainer basis. One-time or periodic consultations (typically selected by the more self-directed investor or people in the earlier phases of wealth accumulation) are provided at reasonable hourly rates.
SUMMARY OF EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION
- Experienced financial consultant involved in the financial planning profession since 1987.
- Completed CFP® course work through the College for Financial Planning. Received Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) designation from the CFP® Board of Standards in 1990.
- Staff Planner with local financial planning firms, 1987 to 1995.
- Vice President and investment specialist at Stepp & Garrett, Inc., a financial planning firm specializing in serving high net worth clientele, 1995 to 1998. Enjoyed a high level of success, but eventually became convinced that the firm's focus on serving only affluent clients was too narrow to meet her personal objectives.
- Founded Garrett Financial Planning, Inc. in 1998 to expand on the vision of offering high-quality advice and financial planning services to people at all income levels, from all walks of life.
INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP
Throughout her career, she has been involved in developing and promoting the financial planning industry on local, regional and national levels:
- Member of the National Board of Directors and Chairman of the Midwest Region for the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA).
- Active in the local chapters of the FPA (formerly the Institute of CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERS™ (ICFP) and the International Association for Financial Planning (IAFP). With the Kansas City Chapter of the IAFP, served as President and Chair of the MoneyWise Personal Finance Fair, a popular annual event, co-sponsored by the Kansas City Star.
- With the IAFP and FPA, involved on a national level, serving on the Chapter Advisory Council, Public Awareness Advisory Council, and Regional Leadership Training Workshops team.
- Selected to represent the IAFP, ICFP and NAPFA before Congress regarding proposed changes in investment advisor regulations.
- Served as a charter member of Schwab Institutional's Emerging Practices Advisory Council.
- Advised Standard & Poor's on new product offerings to financial advisors.
- Quoted in the Wall Street Journal, Investor's Business Daily, U.S. News and World Report, Business Week, Forbes, Bloomberg Wealth Manager, Smart Money magazine, Mutual Funds magazine, Journal of Financial Planning, Registered Representative magazine, Kiplinger, Financial Planning magazine, Investment Advisor magazine, Morningstar 5 Star Investor, the Kansas City Star, the Kansas City Business Journal, the LA Times, the Nikkei (Japanese paper similar to the WSJ), and by the Associated Press.
- Appeared on KMBC-TV Channel 9 in an interview on financial planning.
- Sheryl's financial planning practice was recently featured in cover stories in Bloomberg Wealth Manager (October 2000), Investment Advisor magazine (June 2000), Financial Planning magazine (May 2000) and Registered Representative magazine (January 2000).
- Named ''Advisor of the Month'' in the November 2000 issue of Ticker magazine.
- Named ''Planner of the Month'' in the May 2000 issue of Mutual Funds magazine.
- Key contributor to the recently published book ''Getting Started in Financial Planning'' by Jeffery Rattiner, CPA, CFP® (published by Bloomberg Professional Library).
- Authored the text ''A CFP® Practitioner's Approach to Advanced Level Mutual Fund Analysis and Selection'' for the Institute of CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERS™.
- Published ''Financial Planning for Non-Traditional Couples'' in Personal Financial Planning magazine.
- Adjunct Faculty Member for the College for Financial Planning.
- Speaks to groups around the country on subjects ranging from portfolio management to the importance of financial planning.
- Serves as a National Board Member, Secretary and Investment Advisor for Camp Quality USA, an organization that sponsors summer camps across the country for children with cancer.
